Fay Sampson

Suzie Fewings's son Thomas Loosemore Fewings appears to be a suspect in the murder of his recent girlfriend. In the meantime, Suzie has uncovered a possible ancestor named Thomas Loosemore from the 17th century who murdered a clergyman. While the investigation is ongoing, Suzie's daughter Millie and her friend are stalked by a sexual predator. It is Millie's quick thinking that gets them out of the situation, but they must exercise caution knowing that he has not been captured. The threads show more of this story did not work well together. It stretched the reader's imagination to believe that Suzie would even entertain the thought that her son was guilty of the murder of his girlfriend just because some man with the same name who was a potential ancestor was a murderer. While I haven't given up on this author's genealogical mysteries yet, I certainly hope that the next one is more plausible and that the story's threads work better together. I did appreciate the author's listing of genealogical resources for that portion of her novel. show less

This sequel to The Hunted Hare, and 2nd in the "Aidan mystery series" is full of surprises. I certainly wasn't expecting to be treated to the rich history of Holy Island and of Northumbria. While the mystery itself may have been a bit predictable, the richness of the landscape and the depth of the characters certainly was not. I found myself drawn into the medieval history, taught by the characters, of the ancient Christians on Lidisfarne. For anyone who enjoys a well-written, well-rounded show more story with education served on the side, this is the book for you! show less

The Hunted Hare by Fay Sampson is a wonderful debut for the character Aidan Davison, The story of the Davison family traveling to Wales to see Pennant Melangell and the misadventure that ensues is well written. The tragedy of the piece, the twists and turns of the story, and the fleshing out of the characters is very well done. Sampson successfully keeps you guessing as the story progresses and makes Wales a place to see in the mind's eye. I can't wait for the next installment in the series show more which was quite nicely teased at in the back of the book with a few pages of the new text. In any case, I enjoyed it enough that I am willing to give other Fay Sampson books a try. show less

Amateur genealogist Suzie Fewings is disturbed when she finds out that a potential ancestor who shares the same name as her son had killed a man during the Commonwealth era in the 17th century. When her 17-year-old son becomes a suspect in the murder of a teenage girl in their community, Suzie's fears become irrational. Then danger threatens her 13-year-old daughter. Suzie sets out to find the alleged killer while coming to terms with the unpleasant details of her ancestors' lives.

I really show more wanted to like this book since it combines genealogy with a murder mystery. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Not only did the author try unsuccessfully to tie together a 17th century murder and a 21st century murder, she also added a second crime involving Suzie's daughter. It's just too much coincidence to be credible. To top it off, the author throws in a paranormal experience from out of left field. Readers will need a lot of stamina to follow Suzie as she jumps from one conclusion to another. She makes unwarranted assumptions about her ancestry, and she makes unwarranted assumptions about the criminal(s) at loose in her community. Suzie isn't a likeable protagonist for a mystery. She reacts to circumstances and acts impulsively without planning or purpose. If I was her friend, I'd be encouraging her to see a therapist. This is one series I won't be continuing. show less